Tui sightings a dream come true

The resurgence of tui sightings around Hamilton are a dream come true for Wiremu Puke, and are part of a long-held vision of his late father, kaumatua Hare Puke.

Both men were instrumental in establishing a kowhai-tree planting programme along the city's riverbanks in 2005.

The birds are naturally attracted to the bright yellow flowering trees.

Since the programme was launched, with funding help from Hamilton City Council, more than 2000 of the native trees have been planted.

"Our vision was to have a whole corridor of kowhai along the river's edge," said Mr Puke, of the iwi consultative organisation Nga Mana Toopu o Kirikiriroa.

"We always wanted to create a natural aviary along there as it once traditionally was.

"In pre-European times there was a profusion of yellow and gold flowers along the banks of the river and the area was a popular home for tui and other native birds."

Mr Puke believed the planting programme had been a factor in the increased number of birds seen in the city.

"I think one of the real pay-offs is that people are excited to see tui and take real ownership of them."

The Waikato Times has been swamped with emails and calls from people who have sighted the popular native bird in their yards, in parks and along walkways.

The larger numbers, reported all over the region, come after several quiet years and rare sightings.

Reader Bryan L Smith said he saw huge numbers of tui at the Pirongia Golf Club.

"During the height of the blossoming of a number of cherry trees, we would see and hear up to 15 or more per tree.

"Currently the birds are feeding from the Kowhai trees, with an average of six or more birds per tree," he wrote.

Over in Te Awamutu, Donna Palmer wrote: "For the last few weeks there have been up to four tui in the tree, feeding. I have lived here for five years and would have been lucky to see one before now.

"There is one tui who has claimed the tree as his, he will chase anything out of it, blackbirds, sparrows, wax eyes, and any other tui".

"Sometimes, up to three other tui will hang out, acting casual in a nearby tree, when boss hogg tui leaves, they all come in and feed until he returns and woops them out of it again."

While things look rosy for the tui, spare a thought for feral pigeons. The city council has organised a cull in the Hamilton Lake Domain area to control their droppings.

* Send your tui sightings to isay@waikatotimes.co.nz

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